Until quite recently, tactical data links were limited to large platforms such as aircraft, large boats and large land vehicles. However, terminals are becoming smaller and lighter, with reduced power and cooling requirements. Tactical data links are now being utilized by an increasing number of operators across a wide variety of combat roles and responsibilities.
Despite this proliferation of users, many tactical networks are effectively “stove-piped”, with only limited and intermittent direct information exchange between networks. Military operators, in both the deployed (“in the field”) and non-deployed (“back at base”) operational space, have access to a plethora of information, tactical networks and data sources, each with its own characteristics, content and user community.
It would be desirable to provide a common protocol for tactical data. Providing a single common network for all military assets offers the potential for improving the command and control of assets (enabling changes in tactical doctrine), the reduction of the chain of command between a commander and the ultimate subject of his orders (kill chain), and a significant improvement in the identification of friendly forces and their interactions, providing a clearer tactical picture. However, sharing of information between these networks and user communities, to create a single information infrastructure covering both the deployed and non-deployed environment, has been a challenge and has until now proven to be impractical. Implementing new, bespoke, data bearers across all units in a nation's (or even multinational alliance's) armed forces would be a mammoth task, and even modifying existing data link platforms to provide more compatibility would be very difficult. Moreover, tactical networks typically include low-bandwidth data connections, for example via satellites, making sharing of data between many assets on different TDLs unfeasible using conventional systems.
It would be advantageous to provide a tactical network in which one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages is eliminated or at least reduced.